Food and Wine. Rose Wines are excellent with barbecued spareribs or baked ham, as well as with Mexican and Indian food.

• Cabernet Sauvignon has as the best food partners are assertive in terms of flavor and texture: roast lamb or grilled lamb chops, chargrilled steak, filet mignon, calf's liver with bacon and onions, venison, squab and any red meat with a rich reduced sauce.

. Merlot is a splendid partner for roast lamb or duck, grilled steak, lamb or beef stew, and braised meat in reduced sauces.

. Zinfandel is a good match for hearty food such as roast pork with gravy or rich sauce, osso buco, and slow-braised lamb shanks, as well as pasta with spicy sausages, tomato-based chicken fricassees, and even first-rate cheeseburgers.

. Pinot Noir with rare roast beef, dark-meat poultry is another favorite, especially duck and quail, while its lightness makes it a good red for turkey; also a good partner with dishes featuring mushrooms, such as risotto or beef with morel sauce. Best of all is beef stew.

. Syrah is a splendid partner for grilled meat, pepper steak, venison and roast leg of lamb.

. Barolo and Barbaresco are best served with flavorful preparations of beef such as pot roast or beef in a red-wine braise and oxtail stew, as well as osso buco and roast lamb.

. Rioja is a fine match with lamb; dark meat birds like pheasant, squab, and duck; beef with caramelized onions; and Southern-style barbecued beef and pork.

. Beaujolais is a good match with rustic food like baked ham, shepherd's pie, or meat loaf. They are also smoothly attuned to hot, spicy dishes like Szechuan beef or Thai curries. Best lightly chilled, for about 30 to 45 minutes.

. Chardonnays are delicious with rich food: lobster or any other shellfish cooked or dipped in butter; grilled scallops; roast fish; salmon prepared almost any way; roast pork or veal with an abundance of herbs; and bouillabaisse and other rich fish stews.

. Sauvignon Blanc are a fine partner for food cooked with herbs, such as fish with dill or oregano or chicken with sage or thyme. It also makes a good fit with chiles, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and cilantro, so it's often a perfect match for Thai, Indian, and Mexican dishes.

. German Riesling is terrific with lobster salad, cold cracked crab, chicken salad, cold meats, or on its own as a low-alcohol refresher.

. Australia and New Zealand Rieslings are perfect wines for the spice and savor of Chinese, Thai, and Mexican fish dishes or stir-fries, grilled shellfish, and barbecued pork.

. Pinot Grigio is a good companions to light hot or cold fish dishes: salmon mousse, fish cakes, or gravlax, and pasta with pesto or cheese-based sauces.

. Soave is a fine all-rounder for fish.

. Albarino is quite a good partner for Cajun-style seafood, spicy Mexican-style fish dishes like snapper with green peppers and onion, or shrimp in piquant salsa verde. It's also wonderful with dishes flavored with spicy sausages with combinations of seafood, or even with pepperoni pizza.

. Gewurztraminer is often recommended with Chinese or Thai food.  

• Sparkling Wines works with caviar and smoked salmon; excellent with most of the components of brunch and buffets, such as omelets, soufflés, corned beef hash, chicken hash, smoked sturgeon and other whitefish, and deep-fried shrimp or calamari; wonderful with Cantonese or Szechuan chicken and fish dishes, and a revelation with sushi.